Transducer device

ABSTRACT

A transducer device having a primary winding, a plurality of secondary windings and a core electrically coupling the secondary windings with the primary winding. The secondary windings comprise a plurality of insulated wires bundled together and wound as a helical winding so that when an input signal is applied to the primary winding a separate output signal is induced in each of the secondary windings.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Amotz Frenkel Lansdale, Pa. [21]Appl. No. 840,776 [22] Filed July 10, 1969 [45] Patented July 20, 1971[73] Assignee Transducer Systems, Inc.

Willow Grove, Pa.

[54] TRANSDUCER DEVICE 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Flgs. [52] U.S. C1 336/132,336/170, 336/183 [51] Int. Cl 1Hl0ll2l/06 [50] Field of Search 336/130,136,132,170,17l,188,182,183;323/48,49

I56] References (Zited UNITED STATES PATENTS 929,256 7/1909 Sink 336/170X 1,251,208 12/1917 Ferriter 336/170 X 1,732,937 10/1929 .lones.....336/188 X 2,374,930 5/1945 Gray 323/48 X 2,461 ,238 2/1949 Schaevi tz.336/136 2,482,471 9/1949 Dowell 336/136 X 2,558,573 6/1951 Manke 336/136X 3,138,772 6/1964 Persons, .lr. 336/130 X Primary Examiner-Thomas J.Kozma Attorney-Jacob Trachtman ABSTRACT: A transducer device having aprimary winding, a plurality of secondary windings and a coreelectrically coupling the secondary windings with the primary winding.The secondary windings comprise a plurality of insulated wires bundledtogether and wound as a helical winding so that when an input signal isapplied to the primary winding a separate output signal is induced ineach of the secondary windings.

TRANSDUCER DEVHCE The present invention relates to a transducer device,and more particularly to a transducer having a plurality of outputsignals.

Transducers in general comprise a primary winding, a secondary windingand a core electrically coupling the primary and the secondary windings.Thus, when an electrical current is applied to the primary winding, anoutput signal is induced in the secondary winding. A proximitytransducer is constructed so that when a metal object is moved towardthe end of the core of the transducer the output signal will vary even'though the input signal is maintained constant. Such proximitytransducers can be used as switches to provide a signal when a piece ofmetal, such as an operating key, is moved toward the core of thetransducer.

For certain types of electrical equipment it is desirable to provide aplurality of output signals to operate a plurality of separate functionsby the operation of a single actuator key. This has been previouslyachieved by using diode matrix circuits. However, such circuits take upconsiderable space, are expensive because of the number of electricalcomponents required, and are time consuming to assemble in production ofthe electrical equipment. Therefore, it would be desirable to have asingle switching means which would provide a pl urality of outputsignals upon the actuation of a single operating key.

It is therefore an object of the novel transducer device which outputsignals.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a proximitytransducer which will produce a plurality of output signals when a pieceof metal, such as an operating key, is moved into proximity with thecore of the transducer.

These objects are achieved by a transducer having a primary winding, asecondary winding and a core electrically coupling the primary windingand secondary winding. The secondary winding comprises a plurality ofwires bundled together and electrically insulated from each other.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the transducer device ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the transducer device.

Referring to FIG. I, the transducer device ll) of the present inventioncomprises a cylindrical bobbin 12 of an electrical insulating material,such as a plastic or ceramic. The bobbin 12 has a hole 14 extendinglongitudinally therethrough along the axis thereof, and threelongitudinally spaced grooves l6, l8 and in its outersurface. A primarywinding 22 of an insulated electrically conductive wire is helicallywound around the bobbin 12 in each of the end grooves 16 and 20. Asecondary winding 24 is helically wound around the bobbin 12 in thecenter groove 18. The secondary winding 24 comprises a plurality ofseparate electrically insulated wires 26 bundled together, such as bytwisting them together along their length. The bundle of the wires 26 isthen helically wound around the bobbin. A core 28 of a magnetic materialis within the hole 14 in the bobbin 12. The core 28 extends across theprimary present invention to provide a produces a plurality of separateother of said windings winding 16 and the secondary winding 24, but isoffset from one end of the bobbin 12 so as to project from the other endof the bobbin.

In the use of the transducer device 10, the primary winding 22 isconnected to a source of electrical current. The current passing throughthe primary winding 22 creates a magnetic field. The core 28electrically couples the secondary winding 24 with the primary winding22 so that the magnetic field created by the primary winding induces anelectrical voltage in each of the wires 26 of the secondary winding 24.Thus, there is produced a separate output signal in each of the wires 26of the secondary winding.

en a metal member, such as an operating key 30, is moved close to theend of the core 28, the magnitude of the output signal from each of thesecondary winding wires 26 will vary, and can be made to increase. Thus,the output signal from each of the wires 26 can be switched from a lowvalue to a high value. By connecting each of the wires 26 of thesecondary winding 24 to a separate mechanism to be controlled, a singletransducer 10 can be used to simultaneously operate a plurality ofmechanisms. Although the transducer 10 is shown as having five wires 26in the secondary winding 24, it has been found that it can include asmany as eight wires and still provide satisfactory switching signalsfrom each wire. Also, although the transducer 10 is shown as having thesecondary winding in the center and the primary winding split on eachside of the secondary winding, the primary winding can be in the centerwith the secondary winding being split on each side of the primary.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

What I claim is:

1. A transducer device comprising a primary winding for receiving aninput signal, a secondary winding, a fixed core of magnetic materialelectrically coupling the primary winding and the secondary winding,said secondary winding including a plurality of separate wires which arebundled together and insulated from each other so that a plurality ofseparated output signals are provided from a single input signal, and akey member of metallic material secured for being moved with respect tosaid core for switching the output signal of each of said wires from alower value to a higher value.

2. A transducer device in accordance with claim 1 including acylindrical bobbin of an electrical insulating material, the primarywinding and the secondary winding being wound around the bobbin and thecore extending through the windings.

3. A transducer device in accordance with claim 2 in which the bobbinhas a hole extending longitudinally therethrough along its axis and thecore is within said hole.

4. A transducer device in accordance with claim 3 in which the bobbinhas a plurality of annular grooves in its outer surface and each of thewindings is wound in a separate one of said grooves.

5. A transducer device in accordance with claim 4 in which the bobbinhas three annular grooves in its outer surface, one of said windingsbeing wound in the center groove and the being wound partially in eachof the end grooves.

1. A transducer device comprising a primary winding for receiving aninput signal, a secondary winding, a fixed core of magnetic materialelectrically coupling the primary winding and the secondary winding,said secondary winding including a plurality of separate wires which arebundled together and insulated from each other so that a plurality ofseparated output signals are provided from a single input signal, and akey member of metallic material secured for being moved with respect tosaid core for switching the output signal of each of said wires from alower value to a higher value.
 2. A transducer device in accordance withclaim 1 including a cylindrical bobbin of an electrical insulatingmaterial, the primary winding and the secondary winding being woundaround the bobbin and the core extending through the windings.
 3. Atransducer device in accordance with claim 2 in which the bobbin has ahole extending longitudinally therethrough along its axis and the coreis within said hole.
 4. A transducer device in accordance with claim 3in which the bobbin has a plurality of annular grooves in its outersurface and each of the windings is wound in a separate one of saidgrooves.
 5. A transducer device in accordance with claim 4 in which thebobbin has three annular grooves in its outer surface, one of saidwindings being wound in the center groove and the other of said windingsbeing wound partially in each of the end grooves.